8 Customizing Task Flows at Runtime

Through the Task Flow Editor system page, you can customize a task flow at application runtime so that all instances are affected. You can change all task flow instances at the application level or just those instances in a given space.

This chapter provides details about runtime task flow customization and steps you through the process of customizing task flows application-wide and space-wide. It includes the following sections:

8.1 What You Should Know About Runtime Task Flow Customization

Runtime Task flow customization provides a means of configuring a particular task flow in a way that all instances of that task flow within the current scope are affected.

The task flow customization feature is available exclusively on the Task Flow Editor system page. The Task Flow Editor system page is available at both the application and space levels:

To change all instances of a given task flow across all spaces (including the Home space), customize the task flow on the application-level Task Flow Editor system page.

To change only those instances exposed in a given space, customize the task flow on the space-level Task Flow Editor system page.

Note:

When you customize a task flow element at the application level, and another user customizes the same task flow element at the space level, the space-level customization take precedence in that space.

The Task Flow Editor system page is provided to enable customization of any seeded task flow (custom task flows that are created through the Resource Manager cannot be customized in this way). Edit the Task Flow Editor page, and add any seeded task flow to it. Edit the task flow by selecting any of its elements on the page and then editing the selected element's properties.

The changes you make to task flows on the Task Flow Editor system page affect all instances of the task flow at the application level, when you customize the application-level system page, or within the scope of the current space, when you customize the space-level system page.

System pages at both the application and space level have a Restore Default feature that enables authorized users to remove all page customizations and restore a system page to its out-of-the-box state. It is important to note that Restore Default does not also restore customized task flows to their default states. A separate control, Reset Task Flow, is available to remove task flow customizations (for more information, see Section 8.4, "Removing Task Flow Customizations").

Note:

Customizations made to task flows created at runtime—that is, created through the Resource Manager—are base document edits rather than layered customizations. Consequently, they cannot be reset. When you edit a task flow created at runtime in Composer, edits are saved, even if you do not explicitly click Save.

Make runtime task flow customizations in page edit mode Source view. In Source view, an Edit Task Flow link is provided next to the region that represents the task flow. You can click this link to start the customization process (Figure 8-1).

Once in, you can select different task flow elements directly on the page and edit their properties through the Component Properties dialog. All changes made in this way affect all instances of the task flow either application-wide or within the scope of a space, depending on where you initiated the customization. Changes to one element affect all like elements. For example, if you select a folder in the Document Explorer task flow, and change its icon, all folder icons in all Document Explorer task flows within the current scope are affected.

8.2 Customizing Task Flows at the Application Level

This section describes how to perform runtime task flow customizations at the application level.

Note:

When you customize a task flow element at the application level, and another user customizes the same task flow element at the space level, the space-level customization take precedence in that space.

To perform runtime task flow customizations application-wide:

Navigate to the Spaces Administration page, click the Pages tab to bring it forward, and then click System Pages to view all system pages.

You can use the following URL to get to this location:

http://host:port/webcenter/spaces/admin/systempages

Click the Customize link next to the Task Flow Editor system page to open it in page edit mode (Figure 8-2).

Remember that changes to one element affect all like elements in the task flow within the current scope. For example, a change to the font used on a folder name affects all folder names within the scope and not just the selected instance.

Click Apply to view the effect of your changes; click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog.

Every instance of the customized task flow within the current scope renders with your customizations.

Click Save then Close to exit Composer.

8.3 Customizing Task Flows at the Space Level

This section describes how to perform task flow customizations at the space level.

Note:

When you customize a task flow element at the application level, and another user customizes the same task flow element at the space level, the space-level customization take precedence in that space.

To perform space-wide task flow customizations through the Task Flow Editor system page:

Navigate to the System Pages subpage under space Settings.

You can use the following URL to get to this location:

http://host:port/webcenter/spaces/spaceName/admin/systempages

Click the Customize link next to the Task Flow Editor system page to open it in page edit mode (Figure 8-8).

Remember that changes to one element affect all like elements in the task flow within the current scope. For example, a change to the font used on a button affects all like buttons on every instance of the selected task flow within the scope and not just the selected instance.

Click Apply to view the effect of your changes; click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog.

Every instance of the customized task flow within the current scope renders with your customizations.

Click Save then Close to exit Composer.

8.4 Removing Task Flow Customizations

Use the Reset Task Flow feature to remove customizations from seeded task flows.

Note:

Reset Task Flow does not apply to task flows created at runtime. That is, task flows created through the Resource Manager. Changes made to a task flow created through the Resource Manager are base edits rather than layered customizations; therefore, when you click Reset Task Flow, there are no customization layers to remove.

To remove task flow customizations made at the application or space level:

Navigate to the System Pages subpage at the application or space level.

To navigate to the application Systems Pages subpage, use the following URL:

http://host:port/webcenter/spaces/admin/systempages

To navigate to a space Systems Pages subpage, use the following URL:

http://host:port/webcenter/spaces/spaceName/admin/systempages

Click the Customize link next to the Task Flow Editor system page to open it in page edit mode (Figure 8-13).